Keeping Over Their Flock By Night: The Shepherds

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will toward men." (Luke 2:8-14)

When I read these words, I often think of the Charlie Brown Christmas special, and Linus' speech in which he shares with Charlie Brown the true meaning of Christmas. For those who haven't seen it, you can see it by clicking the link at the bottom of the picture.

See the video of Linus' speech here

But now I think of those to whom the words were directed: the Shepherds. Last year I had the opportunity to dress up as a shepherd for the annual Nativity Festival, a community event hosted by the Church in my home stake of Temecula, California. As part of the presentation, I got to read that section from Luke 2, and it took on new meaning as I pondered what the Shepherds would have felt like as they saw the heavenly hosts, and as they made the journey to Bethlehem to see the boy who would be their Savior. What an unbelievable opportunity! Elder Dallin H Oaks, in a message printed in this month's Ensign, said, "These humble shepherds became the first of millions of mortal witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like them, we are invited to be witnesses too." That unbelievable opportunity is put into greater perspective: these humble, probably poor shepherds were called on by an angel of God to be the first witnesses of the birth of Jesus, even the Son of God. What was it about them that made them the eventual choice to be such?

Painting by Walter Rane

Two verses from Luke that stand out to me are 16-17, which read: "And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child." Not only were they humble, they had great faith. Seeing an angel is no given that one will act--see Laman and Lemuel in the Book of Mormon for an example. These men were humble, they were diligent, and they were faithful. When you look at modern missionaries and which ones have success, they have similar qualities. Here I am not defining "successful missionaries" on number of converts only, but the quality of their conversion, and the conversion of the missionaries themselves. They are humble, they are diligent, and they are faithful. Just as Christ would grow and call on humble men who were fishermen and publicans to be his Apostles, the Lord called on lowly shepherds to be those who would first spread the word of His birth. There is definitely a lesson there.

Painting by Simon Dewey

Expanding a little more on their diligence as disciples, the question came to my mind: Did they leave their sheep, leaving the ninety and nine to go after the One, even the Lamb of God? Or did they make that incredible effort to lead their flock all the way to Bethlehem, that none would be lost? Either way, their effort is exemplary and commendable, but in my mind, I imagine that these shepherds, who were found by the angel "keeping over their flocks by night," patiently guided their little sheep along, following the star that would take them to the infant Christ. As I imagine this great effort, I think of parents with young children, who patiently get their kids ready for Church every Sunday, and who diligently go through with Family Home Evening and Family Prayer and Family Scripture Study. I think of parents with children who have gone astray, who fall on their bruised knees and cry that their lost sheep will find their way back to the fold. I think of parents with children with disabilities. Having worked in a Special Ed class, and spent time with the amazing children of my home ward, I hold a special respect in my heart for those special shepherds with a special, yet challenging flock, that humbly and patiently try to lead their flock to Christ. Parenting is not easy, and I know that without even having had that opportunity as of yet. It is one of the deepest desires of my heart to one day have the opportunity to do so, even knowing how hard it is. I have heard the pains of fathers and mothers, as a missionary and in other capacities, as they share of their struggles of keeping their flock together and progressing. I know that many may be on the edge, wondering if they should just give up.

For you parents, whatever situation you may be in, remember the Shepherds. They made it to Christ! "And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." You will make it too! Will it be easy? Heck no. Will it take some effort and some suffering and some tears? Of course. But you will get there. The great blessing of it all is that when you do, you will then be able to bear witness, and eventually, you will be able to lift others as well. Those shepherds "made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child." This child is Jesus, the Son of God, who was born, lived, died, and lived again because He and the Father love you. 

But what do I know, right? I've never had kids, nor have I been married. But this I do know: The Gospel of that same Jesus is the way. If humility is the mindset and faith is the attitude, eternal happiness will be the ultimate end. This is eternal truth.

I know that we all know of someone who is struggling. I hope that we can follow the example of the shepherds of the first noel, and "[make] known the saying which was told [us] concerning this child." That saying is that He is the Christ, and He already suffered what you are suffering now, and if you turn to Him, He will lift you up, for "[His] yoke is easy, and [His] burden is light," (Matthew 11:30). President Thomas S. Monson said, "As we follow in His footsteps today and as we emulate His example, we will have opportunities to bless the lives of others. Jesus invites us to give of ourselves: 'Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.' Is there someone for whom you should provide service this Christmas? Is there someone who awaits your visit?" I know that there is.